Loving Taunts
by Amethystfairy1
Summary: Ever since he was ten years old, Imaizumi had known that he'd grow to be particularly tall, or that his soul mate would be particularly short. Another thing, how exactly was this soul words thing supposed to go? Did he cry? Get excited? Start making out? He really had no clue. Either way, he wasn't looking forward to it, until this red head manages to flip his perspective, that is.


**_I change up cannon. Expect many changes from the original, especially around Naruko and Imaizumi's first meeting. Welcome to my next Yowapeda soulmate AU! I've written one for the T2, so if you like them, go and check that out, it's called Silent Questions. This AU is where the first words your soulmate ever says to you appear on your wrist at some point in your pre teen years. So, please enjoy!_**

* * *

Imaizumi had known since he was eleven that he would either grow particularly tall, or that his soulmate was going to be particularly short. Perhaps even both? He had no clue. And yet that fateful day when he ran home from school at ten years old and raced to his mother, crying out about the annoying itch on his wrist, she'd been ecstatic.

No one in this world denied fate.

Those who tried it would always wind up worse off then before. They'd end their lives with broken hearts and shattered dreams. The words that appeared on your wrist sometime around your pre teen years told you who your destined other half was. Or at least gave you an ample clue.

The one you would love and spend your life with. They might be the same gender, they could be years your senior, or years your junior. But once you heard those words, you would respond in turn with what was written on your partners wrist. Then you would know who they were. They were your perfect soulmate. Imaizumi had honestly been befuddled when he'd first read the words that inked themselves out on his wrist after a few days of enduring the itchiness.

.

.

.

 _So, hows the weather all the way up there, you giant?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Ever since then, he'd listened out for those worlds, and paid close attention when someone shorter then him was talking. That became a drag when he hit a growth spurt in middle school and shot up, suddenly becoming the tallest in his class by over a head.

Slowly, he started to release his laser focus on anyone much shorter then him. By his last year of middle school, he was far more devoted his cycling career. But every once in a while, on those nights when he was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and couldn't sleep, he'd turn those words over his head and consider them. So would his soulmate be really short? Or would they be of average height and just felt like making a joke?

Would they be the type to toss taunts around before introductions were had? Shunsuke knew there was no point in over thinking things.

 _Fate never goes wrong._

 _Destiny has never once been in error._

 _Trust in them, and I'll meet my true love in good time._

He had another thought. What if his soulmate was poor, and thought that his families wealth was unfair? What if his soulmate didn't like how influential his family was? Or what if it was the exact opposite, and his soulmate started trying to rush their relationship so that he could gain access so the Imaizumi family fortune? Shaking his head, the black haired boy breathed out a heavy sigh.

 _Fate and destiny haven't once screwed up._

He'd literally just tried to reassure himself of that.

No matter how much people swore that this soulmate thing was garbage and they wanted to control their own future, without fail, their tunes would change the instant they heard their words spoken. The instant they fell madly in love. That was another thing that Shunsuke couldn't seem to wrap his head around. He was literally just going to meet someone, they were going to say those words, he would say theirs back, and then what?

Cry?

Be shocked?

Get excited?

Get upset?

Start making out?

A groan escaped as he checked his clock.

3 AM, his first day of high school was tomorrow and he was awake pondering life's biggest question.

Grumbling under his breath at his idiocy, Imaizumi rolled over and dragged his pillow over his head. This could wait until morning.

* * *

 _Why does your soulmate instantly love you?_

As he pedaled towards school, currently garbed in green and yellow, the schools uniform, he rolled this question about in his mind.

 _I mean, will I feel like that? Someone makes fun of my height, and then boom, my heart starts pounding and my hands start shaking and I'm in love? Or is it slow...like you start out as friends and then become more after a little while? I don't know about these things. Why should I care? For all I know I'll meet my soulmate in three seconds, or in three decades. I shouldn't have to be bothered with this._

Imaizumi strode into class, and his inner self was already moaning misgivings because, yet again, he appeared to be one of the tallest kids in school, 3rd years aside.

On his way home, he decided he wanted to test out the Rear Gate slope that he'd heard was so difficult to climb. After changing in the locker room, he rode for the slope.

To say that he had an interesting ride was something. He met a kid on a mommy bike. How on earth was he climbing the hill on that crappy super heavy old bike? Shunsuke was so intrigued he even bet his joining the Cycling Team on a race against him.

Thankfully he won, but there had been a few points where he had been a little worried. Shaking his head, he didn't even want to recall that, he made his way towards the Cycling Team's building with his sign up slip. He felt his blood boil with eagerness, he'd heard rumors that the captain of the team was ruthless during practice, and he was more then ready to prove his worth. When he entered, there was the captain himself, and Imaizumi instantly gravitated to him.

Introductions were swapped, and Shunsuke soon found himself speaking with the three resident third years, all of whom were legends of the local cycling world.

The Mountain Spider, the Snake of the Stone path, the Human Bullet Train.

All three had earned themselves nicknames that quoted their strengths and their excellence in their disciplines. Imaizumi spent the next week as the sole recruit, the three third years were quickly attempting to bring in as many new recruits as possible. The next week Imaizumi met the two second years on the team, who were coming in for their first official practice. He hadn't really known what to expect from them, but when they entered, he greeted them in a friendly manner.

"Hey! So you're the elite first year we brought in yesterday? Great! I'm Teshima Junta." He introduced himself.

"Imaizumi Shunsuke. I look forward to working with you." He said with a nod before he turned his attention on the other boy present. He had longish amber hair and ridiculously large auburn colored eyes.

"This is Aoyagi Hajime." Teshima introduced him.

A silent nod and a small smile was what Imaizumi was given.

Soon enough they were paired for to do some relaxed laps around the school before getting into the serious training. It was more a time for chatting then for actual practice, a good warm up for their legs before they got into the real work.

Imaizumi had been riding with the captain for the past week, but this time he'd been paired with Teshima. Shunsuke got the feeling the captain wanted him to get to know the new faces a little better.

"So, Elite, you got any racing history?" Teshima had already tacked on a nickname. It sounded taunting, but his manner was friendly enough.

Imaizumi gave him the names of some races he'd won in middle school, and Teshima's reply was a brilliant grin.

"This is great! We'll make a real run for the Inter-High this year! I mean, hopefully we'll get some new recruits before then, at least..."

"Have you known Aoyagi for a while then?" Imaizumi blurted out.

There was something different about their relationship. Aoyagi never had to so much as open his mouth before Teshima was able to spell out exactly what he was thinking.

Teshima gave him a strange look, then he chuckled. "What? No, not really. It's been a year since we met."

Imaizumi stared at him, "But...you can tell exactly what he's thinking!"

"The rumors are true. I'm telepathic." Teshima replied bluntly.

He laughed at the befuddled look Imaizumi gave him.

Once his laughter subsided, he spoke again.

"Hajime is my soulmate. I met him outside the school a year ago. He's mute, and cannot speak. Thats why I made it my mission to read what he wants to say, and say it for him, so that he doesn't have to use his whiteboard when he's with me."

Imaizumi blinked twice. "Wait. Soul mate?"

Teshima snickered. "Yeah. He really gave me a scare though. Look."

The black haired boy offered his wrist to show a bold black question mark.

"First thing he ever 'said' to me."

The second year gave a humored huff.

"He typed a question mark into his phone and held it up at me. A black question mark. But hey, fate and destiny and all that. They know what they're doing."

Imaizumi bit his lip.

"So...what? Do you just instantly fall in love?"

Junta laughed again. "What? No way! I can't speak for Hajime, even though most of the time I have to..."

Shunsuke ignored the jest.

"...but I suddenly felt comfortable around him. More then anyone else. It was like he was a piece of me that had been missing for a long time, and once I met him, I was complete again."

Teshima waved his hand in the air. "That's probably way to mushy for you to understand, but that's the best way I can think of to explain it.

Imaizumi shook his head. "No. That actually makes a lot of sense."

Junta grinned again. "Maybe I should be a love consultant!" He barked before he raised his cadence and took off up the flat.

"Oy!" Shunsuke switched gears and took off in pursuit.

* * *

After his talk with Teshima in the middle of practice, not only was Imaizumi able to appreciate the way Teshima and Aoyagi acted with each other, he was also able to put his own mind at ease. Seeing his upperclassmen so happy with each other, it really made some things click. Imaizumi was a lot less worried about his own soulmate now. If Teshima were correct, it would happen, and things would all be alright, so why be so bothered with it?

After another week, the cycling club was still pressed for members, and as such, everyone headed off to different parts of the school with recruitment on the brain.

Case in point, they sent Shunsuke out with some flyers to try and bring some 1st years to the club.

As such, he was now ambling aimlessly around near the bike racks, looking around for people with decent bikes who might want to join.

His thoughts drifted to that kid he'd raced up the Rear Gate Slope with. He'd have to track that bespectacled first year down later, perhaps he could dissuade him from his quest for an Anime Club and get him seriously into cycling.

As he walked, he spotted a shiny red road racer locked to the rails. He strode up to it and gave it a once over with skeptic eyes. At first, he'd assumed the bright color was to hide the shabbiness of the actual construction. After a few moments, though, he realized that the bike was actually very high end, it looked to be prepped and ready for a organized race. Frowning, he squatted down, ignoring how the movement caused an annoying pull of the fabric of his pants, and took a closer look. The bike looked made for speed, clearly whoever owned this loved going fast.

 _A sprinter, maybe? I'll have to figure out who owns it._

Shunsuke thought to himself as he stood.

Then, suddenly, from behind him, an oddly toned laugh rang out.

"KA KA KA!"

Before Imaizumi could even turn, he heard that same voice speak the first words he'd ever heard it say.

"So, hows the weather all the way up there, you giant?"

It was everything Shunsuke could have expected and more. His heart felt ready to burst from his chest, his eyes felt hollow from how far he widened them, and his hands instantly began trembling like mad as the flyers he'd been holding drifted to the cement ground. Shivers raced up his spine, yet at the same time the heat of the blood rushing through his veins made itself known. Right here, at the back of his high school, in front of a bike rack, he'd just heard his soul mates very first words.

Spinning, he found himself faced with a grinning red haired boy, far shorter then him, shorter then average, Imaizumi would guess from eye. At this point he didn't trust his judgement of anything. He was still shell shocked.

That was, until the student, until his _soul mate,_ snapped his fingers as close to Imaizumi's face as he could reach.

"Hey, you feeling spacey today, squinty eyes?" He demanded, looking genuinely concerned behind the harsh nicknames.

This movement shook Imaizumi out of his daze enough to speak.

"I didn't think I'd ever have a red head for a soul mate."

 _Literally_ the stupidest thing he could have thought of to say at that moment.

Aforementioned red head went silent, then his grin turned a mile wide.

"You'd better know I dyed it this color for you! I'm naturally a brunette, you know! My favorite color might even be red because you talking about me being a red head might have influenced it! How much of an idiot can you be, you squinty eyed giant?"

That voice was loud and grating, most would easily find it overbearing and annoying, but for some reason, perhaps because fate and destiny had planned it this way, Imaizumi rather enjoyed the sound of it. He looked forward to listening to it for hours on end.

That mile wide grin was replaced with a more genuine, still massive, closed mouthed smile.

Imaizumi felt the edges of his lips tugging up just at the sight of it.

"So, I'm Naruko Shoukichi, how about you?"

He stuck his hand out for a hand shake.

Imaizumi couldn't help but smile now. For some reason, despite all the scenarios under which he could meet his soul mate that chased each other through his brain, he'd never once considered a simple handshake and swapping of names.

"I'm Imaizumi Shunsuke. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah, I know, you should be honored."

Shunsuke snickered.

"You're pretty confident for a midget with a flaming head."

Naruko yanked his hand away, pretending to be offended.

"Oy! It's your fault I dyed it! My mom went berserk when she read your first words! She was pissed but still agreed to let me do it! Next time think up a better thing to say!"

Imaizumi rolled his eyes. "As far as I know, you only get one soul mate. I don't think theres gonna be another time. As if you can talk, calling me a giant on your very first meeting with me? Do you know how much I worried about you just being a completely horrible person?"

Naruko put a hand up. "Now, you don't know me just yet, do you?"

Imaizumi raised an eyebrow, then he bent and started to pick up the flyers that he'd dropped.

"One's getting away!"

He glanced up to see Naruko chasing a rogue flyer, which had been caught on a draft of the breeze, around the back of the school.

By the time Imaizumi had finished picking up the other flyers, Naruko had captured the one on the wind. He was now reading it as he walked back over to the bike rack, where his black haired, newly discovered soul mate awaited.

Once he skimmed the heading, a look of pure joy spread across his face.

"Hell yeah! You're on the cycling team? I'm planning on joining up this week!'

Imaizumi nodded.

"Yes, I just joined it. I'm only a first year."

Naruko gave a low hum.

"I could'a pinned you for a second year. Not like it matters! Now we won't have to worry about graduations and long distance and ridiculous stuff like that!"

Imaizumi chuckled again as he moved to give Naruko room to unlock his bike.

"You jump to conclusions rather fast, don't you?"

Shoukichi gave a cheeky thumbs up.

"I do everything fast! I'm the best sprinter to have come out of my hometown!"

Imaizumi shrugged.

"Well, now what?"

Naruko looked surprised.

"Well I don't know about you, but I would enjoy spending the next couple of hours figuring out exactly who I'm supposedly gonna spend the rest of my life with."

Imaizumi had nothing wrong with that.

Naruko was walking his bike and they were heading for the cycling clubs small building, so that Imaizumi could get his own road racer.

As they walked, Naruko filling most of the silence with chatter about cycling races he'd won and complaining about Imaizumi forcing him to dye his hair.

As Imaizumi went to get his bike, Tadokoro exited the building, apparently having only briefly stopped by.

"Oy! So you found someone, you elite?" Tadokoro roared, clapping Imaizumi on the shoulder.

"You could say that. He was planning on joining anyway."

Naruko's grin hadn't vanished the entire time they were walking, and it was still there in full force, even as he gave a two fingered salute to Tadokoro in a cheeky way.  
"Even better after I met this squinty eyed giant! Can you believe the first thing he said to me after all this time was that he didn't expect a red head? I'll tell everyone it's your fault I dyed my hair!"

Imaizumi rolled his eyes.  
"And you called me a giant the first time you saw me. As if thats much better."

"Didn't involve hair dye, did it?"

Shunsuke gave a defeated sigh. "Fair point."

 _Dammit. This is gonna get annoying._

Tadokoro looked between the two of them, an eyebrow raised.

It seemed to click with him a second later and a grin that was clearly hinting at _something_ spread out across his pudgy cheeks.

"Well I'll just leave you two alone to...fill out the forms and all..."

They watched their gargantuan upperclassmen trundle his girth away, and both of them shuddered.

"Well _that_ was creepy." Naruko grumbled.

Shunsuke simply nodded as he escorted Naruko into the club room, setting aside his sign up form, he then proceeded to pick up his school bag and unlock the bike from the rack.

As the too tall Imaizumi and the too loud Naruko pedaled in some random direction, Imaizumi took in this small body that held a massive presence, and would hold an even deeper presence in his heart for the rest of his life.

Then he decided, this whole trusting in fate and destiny thing was alright after all.

* * *

 _ **I hope you liked it! Next on my list is Makishima and Toudou, because they have to have one. It'll be a while in the making, but it'll happen! Please review and tell me what you thought, thanks for reading!**_


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